Rights Movement Speaks On Buyanga Child Custody Drama

The organisation said fathers have rights too that needs to be respected.

“Frank Buyanga case has demonstrated that father’s rights are disregarded in Zimbabwe. Our society needs change. Fathers have rights too and these rights need to be respected. Let us fight for our rights as fathers,” reads a flier circulating on social media.

Buyanga’s child custody case has been raging on and the businessman has approached the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) complaining about the way his case has been handled.

His legal team alleged that Buyanga has been a victim of corrupt government officials.

Last month, Buyanga was ordered by Justice Jacob Manzunzu to return the child to his mother within 24 hours and the businessman immediately appealed.

At the hearing, Matanga claimed that police had already engaged Interpol to help locate the child and his father.

“The investigations are still continuing and are at an advanced stage. Interpol has been invoked to assist in locating both the Applicant and minor child outside this jurisdiction. It will be an affront for this Honorable Court to entertain a fugitive from justice like the Applicant,” Matanga said in the affidavit.

This week the businessman wrote a letter to President Emmerson Mnangagwa complaining about the manner in which his case has been handled.

Buyanga told Mnangagwa that while his complaints against Matanga were being ignored, the Commissioner General was finding time and energy to respond to Muteswa’s complaints.

“Those utterances (by Matanga) have spiralled in the public domain, with The Herald carrying such a story on the 1st of May 2020 and various other publications following suit.

“Your Excellency, as an affected citizen, I hereby formally register my displeasure at Mr Matanga’s behaviour with an utter disregard for the rule of law.

“As I have said in the past decade in various communications, there is very little chance that Zimbabwe will see meaningful development if there is no effort to enforce the rule of law.”